


A Long Path To Walk.

by Sayumi_Kioko



Series: ColdFlash Week 2019 (April) [6]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, ColdFlash Week 2019, Disabled Character, Forgive Me, I'm so sorry about the tittle, Kisses, M/M, Minor Cisco Ramon/Lisa Snart, Minor Mick Rory/Caitlin Snow, PLEASE READ THE NOTES AT THE BEGINNING, and yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 14:50:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18830863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sayumi_Kioko/pseuds/Sayumi_Kioko
Summary: ColdFlash Week 2019 - Day 7: Sci-Fi/Aliens AU.If there was something Barry regretted it was to joining the military. When they were practicing with some grenades, one exploded too close to his feet and he was pretty sure that whoever had thrown it was aiming to kill him, but he was fast enough to only lose his legs from the knees down.





	A Long Path To Walk.

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, yes, I know I'm too late for this and I'm sorry xD But better late than never, right? xD
> 
> Okay, so I want to warn that this fic might have some things that could upset disabled readers. I don't mean to offend or upset anybody and please, understand that the way I describe and narrate some things are part of a specific story and because I wanted Mick, for example, to be in character. I tried my best to be respectful to you all and I'm sorry if someone feels bad or upset because of this fic.
> 
> I want to thank [SophiaCatherine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaCatherine/pseuds/SophiaCatherine) because she helped me a lot with this fic and beta-ed it so this dummy didn't hurt anybody's feelings or upset anybody without meaning to.
> 
> Also, thank you very much [half_alive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/half_alive/pseuds/half_alive) for beta-ing the work too xD You're pure love <3
> 
> I think that's all I had to say, so please, enjoy this fic :)

If there was something Barry regretted it was to joining the military after finishing his degree in bioengineering. Not just because it ruined his life, but because it wasn’t even an accident or the enemy. It had been totally on purpose to scare him off and make sure he didn’t talk about what he saw.

Not only were his superiors selling weapons on the black market but they were also using humans for more than illegal experimentation. People weren’t even there willingly, and Barry wanted to say something or warn someone, but he was called for some training before he could act.

When they were practicing with some grenades, one exploded too close to his feet. He was pretty sure that whoever had thrown it was aiming to kill him, but he was fast enough to only lose his legs from the knees down.

He was in a coma for nine months, and the same day he woke up, some of his superiors paid him a visit. They made sure that Barry got the message and warned him that if he tried to tell someone he would lose his family too.

By the time he recovered, he had only two options: buy some uncomfortable and expensive prostheses or use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Barry decided that he didn’t want any of those and created a third option; built his own prostheses.

After getting a job at STAR labs, he used his free time to work on his prosthetic legs. It was nice working in there because people were very kind and the facilities were prepared for wheelchairs due to his own boss using one. Sadly, he couldn’t help the man because his problem was totally different than Barry’s.

The man had a car accident driving his girlfriend back home after a date and after that he couldn’t walk again. He was paralyzed, but luckily the woman turned out to be okay and left the hospital with only a sprain. No one knew a lot about Dr. Wells’ personal life, but all of them knew that he started the STAR Labs project a few months later.

Within a month, Barry had already built a prototype that made his life a lot easier. The prostheses weren’t perfect, and he had to take them off after a few hours (after he got used to walking again and was using them fully) because they were slightly uncomfortable, but it was progress.

Slowly, he upgraded them until Barry almost felt like he had his legs again. He was able to walk long distances, kneel, stand up and even jump without any trouble. The only thing he missed like hell by now was running.

Sure, he could build other prosthetic legs specially made for running but they wouldn’t feel real and he would need to change them if he wanted people not to look at his prostheses. They would draw too much attention and he didn’t want people to stare at his prostheses because he would feel like a freak.

He knew people didn’t do it on purpose or to make him feel bad, but they did and it was an awful feeling. It had been very difficult to get used to his new life, the looks people gave him, and in fact, he was still trying not to get frustrated by everything. Sometimes it was just too hard to do even what had once been the easiest tasks, so he was doing his best to improve his and other people’s lives.

Barry wanted to use the same prostheses to walk and jump and run, and he wanted them to look as real as possible. That’s why he kept working on improving his work until he got what he wanted and needed.

After that, he convinced his boss at STAR Labs to sell his creation for an affordable price. He didn’t want to make money but help people. That was the main reason he joined the military, but it turned out that he had been able to do more from a laboratory than standing in the battlefield.

The brunette didn’t stop there, though. Doctor Wells had helped him a lot and Barry wanted to return the favor. He knew that his boss was an independent grown man and that he didn’t need anybody for barely anything, but what if he didn’t need the wheelchair anymore? He would need whatever Barry built, of course, but he would be able to stand again and wouldn’t be stopped for something like a staircase or a single step.

The former soldier worked hard until he finally built a successful exoskeleton. It only reached someone’s waist from the floor and the person needed to wear a helmet, but It was hard for the man to get a hold of it at the beginning, but after a few days he was able to walk, jump and run just like Barry was.

However, the brunette couldn’t just stop there, so he kept working on improving his prostheses and the exoskeleton until he created one that made him go faster and be stronger than any human. With the exoskeleton, he could run faster than a car and was able to lift a vehicle without any trouble. Barry realized he had created a weapon too late.

He was naïve, using the full-body suit to stop some petty crimes and thinking he would be able to help people like this. Reality slapped him in the face in the form of one of his superiors, General Eiling knocking at his door.

Barry paled when he saw him, knowing he was the one that ordered someone to arrange his accident, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. If they wanted him dead, they wouldn’t have waited almost three years to go after him.

“What do you want?” The former soldier spat, disgusted at the man in front of him. It took too long for him to forget the pained faces of the people they were experimenting on. “I haven’t said anything and I’m not going to, so you can go back to your fucking lab.”

“I’m here for business, Mr. Allen, not for pleasure.” Barry scowled. Only that man would find it ‘pleasurable’ to torment or scare someone. He wasn’t surprised, though, because that was the same monster that was playing with human lives. “We know what you’ve built and we want to buy it with its plans.”

“Why would the military want some prostheses or exoskeletons for disabled people?” The brunette tried to look calm and confused. He couldn’t let that bastard get a hold of his work and turn it into a weapon. “Anyways, if you want to buy them, then do it like a normal person. I’m not giving you any discount.”

The brunette was going to close the door and try to calm down, but Eiling didn’t let him. With his foot he stopped the door and stared the former soldier straight into his eyes. Apparently, he didn’t like his answer, but Barry just wanted to forget about that man.

“I’m not talking about that shit and you know it.” The man growled with anger. “I know very well that you’re the one that created that exoskeleton that someone’s wearing to stop those robbers and I want it.”

“Are you insane? If I had something like that I wouldn’t use it to stop some criminals.” Barry lied. “I would give it to people who needed it, but not to people like you so you can use it to ruin more lives. Now get the fuck out of my house.”

The brunette kicked the General out and closed the door. He was in trouble and he knew that Eiling wouldn’t let it go that easily, but he could handle it. Barry already had all his important works at the labs, even if only a few people knew about this last project of his.

The military could break into his house or into STAR Labs and they would get nothing from it because all the plans and the things related to this exoskeleton suit (they called it ‘The Flash suit’) were well hidden in a secret room. There was no way they would get a hold of it, Barry wouldn’t let them.

A week after Eiling’s visit, the brunette thought that he would be okay because neither he nor his friends had heard anything about the General, but he was wrong. He couldn’t be so glad or feel so lucky for being kidnapped any other time.

He was at the corner of his street that night after work when a scary man stopped him. He was bigger, stronger and had a gun in his hand. Barry wasn’t nervous because he was used to dealing with weapons, but in that moment he wasn’t wearing the suit and he wouldn’t be able to take the man down. His best choice was to do whatever the criminal wanted him to.

“You’re coming with me.” The bald man said with a deep, worried voice. “If you don’t struggle I’ll probably let you go after you’ve finished your work.”

The brunette swallowed hard and looked at his surroundings. There was nobody on the street and if he tried to run the man would most likely shoot, but he didn’t really want to go anywhere with that man.

At the beginning he had thought the man would only ask for his wallet and maybe for his watch, but now he was pretty sure that wasn’t what he wanted. Barry took a step back. Damn, he didn’t want to be raped or being trafficked to another country.

Suddenly, his mind froze when he heard a strong explosion and his eyes widened when he realized it was his house. He just _knew_ it wasn’t this criminal’s fault but the military, and if it weren’t for the man in front of him, he would be dead by now.

They’d probably discovered somehow that he wasn't the only one working on the exoskeleton and wanted to scare the others. It wasn't going to work, though, and he was going to make sure of that.

“Isn’t that your house?” The burly man asked.

Barry frowned and couldn’t help but notice that he had been stalked; the criminal hadn’t chosen him because of his bad luck. It was something planned and he didn’t know what to do with that.

When the man turned around to have a look at the disaster, it seemed that everything else stopped existing for him. He looked at the fire with amazement and with probably his version of a soft smile. The brunette thought that this would be his best chance to get away and save his ass.

“Isn't it beautiful?” The man asked, very focused on the fire. Then, before Barry could even move, he shook his head and turned to look at him again. “No, this isn't important. You're coming with me, you have to help him.”

 _Help him_. Those words got caught in the brunette's brain and all thoughts about escaping disappeared. Someone needed help and this man was probably not a criminal but someone desperate.

“Yeah, okay.” Barry said defeated. “I don't have a place to stay, anyways.”

The man in front of him frowned with confusion, surely thinking that it had been too easy. The former soldier was probably being too trusting there too, but he still had his phone in case something went wrong.

Barry climbed up willingly into the black car the other pointed to and put on his seatbelt. He had already lost too much, and though he didn't travel too much by car, the few times he did he wanted to do it safely.

“What do you need me to do?” The former soldier asked calmly. “To help your friend, I mean.”

“We were doing a job and he lost his hand.” The man explained without any detail. “We can't buy one because they ask for his medical records, and we can't break in the store alone to steal it because it's a four man job and we don't trust any of our associates enough to come with us, so the easy solution was getting you.”

Barry tensed and stared at the burly man right next to him. It turned out that he was actually a criminal, if he was telling the truth.

At least he wasn't in real danger if the only thing they wanted from him was a prosthesis. It would be difficult to make one without his tools, but maybe he would be able to convince them to work in the labs.

“We know about your work and we've seen you in that ridiculous futuristic suit of yours, so we know you'll do a good job.” The criminal continued talking. “You'll build him a new hand .”

“You’re confused, I don't wear any suit, and what you're asking me to do is extremely difficult!” Barry complained, denying everything about the Flash suit just in case he was someone from the military. He couldn't be careful enough. “I can make the prosthesis open and close, and I can make its fingers work, but it'll never be like it was, I would have done it for myself if I could!”

“For yourself?”

“You haven't dug enough into my past if you think these legs are the same I was born with.” Barry replied. “I can do basic stuff like walk, kneel, jump or run, but I can't move my toes. I can't feel my legs below my knees even though my brain likes to play with me giving me phantom pains.”

For the rest of the trip they shred an uncomfortable silence. Well, the criminal seemed not to care about it, so the only one who wasn't comfortable was the brunette.

Only ten minutes later, they stopped in what looked like an abandoned warehouse. It turned out not to be like that when they went in to meet the other man. The one he was supposed to help.

“Hello, I'm Barry Allen.” It was useless, he knew it, but his parents raised him to be polite. “First of all, I want to assure you I'll help you, but I don't have my tools here. In the labs it would be faster and I would kill two birds with one stone because my friends are going to worry.”

“I'm in no rush.” The man drawled. “And you can call them to tell them you're sick, you still have your phone, right?”

“He should probably call now.” The big one growled. “Someone blew up his house.”

“Damn it, kid, you should hide what you do with that suit of yours better.”

“How many times do I need to say that I don't know anything about that damned exoskeleton?” He crossed his arms. “And really, you should come with me, I have friends that would help me build you a prosthesis. Then you could leave, we won't call the police.”

“No, you won't.” The thin one took out his phone from his pocket and showed the brunette a video. “Because if you do, all the world will know who uses that exoskeleton you don't know anything about.”

Barry paled when he saw the footage of him wearing the Flash suit and talking with Cisco, Caitlin and Dr Wells. He looked at the other two and nodded. He wasn't planning on giving them to the police anyways.

The brunette called his friends and asked them to go back to the labs if they could. He felt bad for bothering them after work hours, but it wasn't the first time and sure as hell wasn't going to be the last. Not at least if they kept going with 'The Flash project'.

Half an hour later, they were all in the labs, though they took a bit longer because Leonard (the man he had to build the prosthesis for) insisted on going the less direct way to Doctor Wells’ office. He said that it was the only way to get there without being seen by any cameras.

It was slightly terrifying to learn that someone knew how to walk through the labs without being recorded. If those men wanted to steal something there, they would be like ghosts. Of course, that was if he thought they hadn't done it already. He couldn't be sure.

“Barry, what's happening?” Caitlin asked with obvious worry in her voice. “And who are they?”

“They have technically saved my life.” Barry scratched the back of his neck. “General Eiling or one of his minions put a bomb in my house and I would have died there if Mick hadn't kidnapped me.”

“What?” Well, they couldn't say Barry didn’t get straight to the point. “And why are they here, again?”

“Hey, I know how it looks, but Leonard only wants a prosthesis and can't buy it.” The former soldier tried to calm down his friends. “Also, they have a video of me in the Flash suit talking to you. I'm sorry guys.”

“It's okay, Mr. Allen.” Dr. Wells reassured him. “As long as they disappear the second they get the prosthesis.”

“Sure thing.” Leonard dismissed. “You won't see us again.”

It was probably a lie, or maybe it wasn't, Barry couldn't know. He didn't care, though, that man hadn't done anything to earn his hate, distrust or sassy words, so he would work hard and then he would see what would happen next.

The brunette didn’t appreciate being kidnapped, of course, but just in this case the alternative was far worse. Especially because now they were at their labs and he felt comfortable, even more than when he was at home.

“Have you thought about where you are going to sleep?” Cisco asked suddenly, all of them already working. “I don't mind if you come to my house, though you'd have to sleep on the sofa.”

“None of that, he’s coming with us.” Leonard interrupted. “Think of it as a precaution, that way you won’t be tempted to call the police. Plus, we have a spare bed.”

It was obvious that Barry wasn’t calling the shots there, so he just kept working for a while until they decided to go home and rest. After all, the criminal had said that he wasn’t on a rush, and if they could make it by just working a few extra hours they weren’t going to tire themselves out more.

The former soldier was amazed when he saw the house he was going to sleep in because even though it wasn’t as big as his house was, it was three times more luxurious. He thought he would gladly live there if it wasn’t because he was a hostage at the moment.

“If you need something just ask for it.” Leonard told him. “And we would be more comfortable if you gave us your phone before going to sleep, but don’t worry, we’ll give it back to you tomorrow.”

Barry sighed. He could refuse, but he wasn’t sure if it would mean having one of those two with him all night. He wasn’t going to use his mobile, so he wouldn’t miss it anyways, he only hoped that they were telling the truth so he could at least reply to some texts the next morning.

He didn’t know why the police hadn’t called him yet because of his house, but he was pretty sure that Eiling had something to do with all that. Luckily, the General would think he was dead and would leave him alone for a while at least.

“Can you give me some food, please?” He asked as his only reply. “I haven’t eaten anything since lunchtime.”

“Sure.” Leonard looked at the other man. “Can you prepare something, Mick?”

“Of course, boss.”

The picture was weirdly domestic and Barry wondered if they were a couple. They laughed when he asked and explained that they had been best friends basically since they met when they were teenagers.

The former soldier didn’t wait too long after having dinner to go to sleep. He remembered to give his phone to the criminals, so no one bothered him that night.

He had to admit that the bed he slept in was so much more comfortable than his own. In fact, that night Barry had the best sleep he’d had in a very long time. He would miss that bed a lot when they finished the prosthesis for Leonard. It would take a while to build it because Leonard wasn’t asking for a regular prosthesis, so he would have time to enjoy the bed, but he sure as hell would miss it.

Two days later Dr. Wells told them that Eiling had contacted him to buy the exoskeleton, but he refused. The same happened with Caitlin and Cisco, and all of them made sure to have a good security system to make sure no one did the same they did to Barry’s house to theirs.

It was obvious to everybody that the General was upset and that he was a distraction from their jobs, but they couldn’t do anything. The brunette kept going out as the Flash, though he did it quietly and only from time to time.

One time, when he was on the streets stopping a robbery, some soldiers appeared and tried to catch him, but Barry escaped. He had to knock down some of them, but he didn’t regret it because they were very insistent. When he was far away from them he made sure they hadn’t placed a tracker on him and finally went back to STAR Labs. He was getting tired of dealing with Eiling, but it wasn’t like he could do anything but fight him.

One evening, when everybody but them went home and they were focused on working on Snart’s prosthesis, the two criminals walked in and called them. Then, Leonard took out his phone, searched for some news channel and placed it in front of them so they could see what was happening.

The four of them were shocked to see that Eiling was getting arrested among a lot of soldiers and people from the military.

“He was being a pain in the ass and I want my hand.” Leonard said as the only explanation. “I hope you can finish it fast now that there isn’t an annoying distraction anymore.”

Without thinking about what he was doing, Barry turned to look at the criminal and kissed him.Of course, he got tense like a string when he realized he was kissing the other man and put some distance between the two of them as fast as he could.

Snart only smirked like a satisfied cat and winked, so it wasn’t all that bad. Maybe they would kiss some more that night if the thief wasn’t an absolute ass about it. Barry hadn’t told anybody about it, but spending so much time with Leonard had slowly made him fall for him.

He wasn’t in love with him, they didn’t know each other that much, but the brunette liked him and enjoyed spending time with the thief. Barry had thought several times about asking him to hang out sometime after the prosthesis was finished.

“What about me?” Mick growled jokingly. “Do I not get a kiss?”

Leonard looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but everybody fell into an unexpected silence when Caitlin approached the arsonist and kissed his cheek. No one in that room would forget how the scary Mick Rory looked like when he blushed.

“Not fair.” Cisco mumbled.

Only Barry and Leonard got to see the woman that walked to where the engineer was standing, turned him around graciously and kissed him slightly on his lips.

“That’s what you wanted, sweetie?”

“Y-yes.” Cisco blurted. “Are you an angel?”

“She’s my sister, Ramon, so I would be careful.” Snart smirked with amusement. “She might be beautiful, but she’s a little demon.”

“Jerk.”

“Trainwreck.”

“Okay, the love festival is over.” Doctor Wells drew everybody’s attention. “Can we go back to work?”

“What’s up, doc?” Mick said mockingly. “Are you bitter because you didn’t get any kiss?”

“Of course not. I have a lovely wife and the smartest daughter, I get all the kisses I want.” He rolled his eyes. “And don’t get me wrong, I’m glad General Eiling’s out of the picture, but I want to finish this damned thing and see you two as little as possible in my labs.”

Barry, Caitlin and Cisco laughed at that, but focused again on the prosthesis.

“By the way, why aren’t you using the exoskeleton if you can walk with it?” The arsonist asked.

“Dude, rude.” Cisco said with a frown.

“I don’t need to use it all the time, Mr. Rory.” Wells replied politely. Perhaps more than the criminal deserved, but he wasn’t going to start a pointless fight. “On the streets, where most places aren’t prepared for wheelchair users, it’s very useful, but here or at home, I’m more comfortable in the wheelchair than using the exoskeleton. I don’t need to be standing to start a successful company or lead a friendly neighborhood hero.”

Mick grunted and shrugged, but didn’t say anything else.

By the time they finished the prosthesis, the former soldier and the thief had shared a lot more than kisses, and even Caitlin and Mick were starting to date. Lisa and Cisco were only exchanging a few messages a day, but everyone was able to see how hung up the engineer was on her.

The three of them were smart enough to know they could have a lot of issues for dating criminals, but being honest, they didn’t care. The relationships might or might not work, but until they found out, they would enjoy that beautiful thing they had.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading :)
> 
> Please, tell me what do you think about this work leaving a comment ^w^
> 
> It took me so long to write this one! It was very difficult for me because it's the first time I've writen a disabled character and I was worried all the time I would do something wrong. I did, of course, but Soph helped me with that and told me what should I change or delete, so thank you again <3 I'll try to do it better for the next one if people don't throw stones at me because of this one xD
> 
> Remember that I accept constructive criticism, comments and kudos! 
> 
> Thanks for reading all my fics, my dears! Now I'll be able to continue my WIPs, so see you soon! ^w^


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